Grenade and bomb throwing device.



E. S. JONES.

GRENADE AND BOMB THROWING DEVICE.

APPucATlog FILED JUNE I]. 1918.

1 ,278, 1 59. Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

j affozucl u" UNITED s'rATEsrArnN'r enema.

EDWARD S. JONES, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-TWENTIETH T0 JOHN H. JONES, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

GRENADE AND BOMB THROWING DEVICE.

Application filed June 17, 1918.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. JONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Impovements in Grenade and Bomb Throwing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for. throwing grenades and bombs and it has for its object to provide a device of this nature constructed in such manner that it may be quickly and economically manufactured; may be readily transported from place to place; may be folded to a small space during transit; may be manually operated by one person and will be effective when so operated to throw a bomb or grenade much farther than the same could be thrown by hand; that the angle at which the bomb or grenade is thrown may be varied at will to suit the conditions under which the device is being used and constructed in such manner that the force imparted to the grenade may be accurately predetermined in order that the grenade or bomb may be caused to fall exactly where intended.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows:

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a grenade or bomb thrower constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a detail of the locking and releasing mechanism, and

Fig. 3 is a detail of a detent hereinafter described. 7 7

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates a preferably rectangular base. Hinged to this base at 6 adjacent one end thereof is a strong spring 7 preferably comprising a plurality of leaves indicated at 7 7 and 7, it being of course understood that I contemplate employing as many of these leaves as I find to be desirable. Hingedly connected to the spring 7 by ears 8 and pivots 9 is a plate 10 that carries a grenade or bomb receiving pocket 11 which is in the form of a cone. A screw 12 carried by spring 7 passes through an elongated slot 12 in plate 10, and serves the function ofaccurately determining the angle at which the plate-1O is to lie with re spect to the spring 7, it being understood that the curve of trajectory of theipropelled Specification of Letters Patent.

'part 16 of the cross-bar.

Patented Septit), 1918. Serial No. 240,324. A

bomb or grenade may be caused to be in a greater or lesser arc according to the angle to which the plate 10 is adjusted. The screw 12 serves merely the function of measuring the angle as aforesaichthe actual movement of the plate 10 with respect to the spring 7 being effected by an adjusting screw 13 which is threaded in plate 7 and is provided with collars 1% and 15 which lie upon opposite sides of the plate 10 and serve to move this plate toward or from plate 7 according to the direction of rotation of the screw 13. Screw 12 is graduatedpreferably in millimeters. I

A grenade or bomb being placed in the pocket 11, the spring 7 is flexed rearwardly and at the desired moment released, the return of the spring to an upright position hurling the bomb or grenade with considerable force in the desired direction. The means for flexing the spring 7 consists of a two-part bar comprising the parts 16 and 17 that are pivotally connected to each other at 18. The part 17 is pivoted at 19 to ears 20 of the spring 7 and this part carries a plurality of openings '21 in any one of which the pivot 18 is adapted to engage for a purpose which will be hereinafter set forth. The part 16 is provided with teeth 22 with which a segmental or mutilated gear 23 is adapted to engage. The outer'end of the part 16 of the bar is provided with a hand grasp 24:. The segmental gear wheel 23 is carried by a shaft 25 to which motion may be'imparted by cranks 26 and these cranks carry a resilient spring point 27. which is adapted to engage in an opening 28 of a vertical plate 29. The gear wheel 23 is mounted in a slot 30 of this plate and the shaft 25 is journaled 'in said plate. Triggers 31 comprise an off-set portion 32 that is-adapted to engage in a notch 33 of the Hingedly connected at 34 to the'base 5 and at 34 to spring 7, is a twopart brace'bar 35 comprising the parts 36 and 37. By proper adjustment of this face bar the angularity of the spring with respect to the base'may be varied when, for example, it is desired to throw a bomb or grenade into the air and cause it to fall into a trench that is comparatively close. Under these circumstances the brace bar comprising parts 36 and 37 may be shortened by the adjustment hereinafter,

described, and in that casethespring will lie at an angle with respect to the base before it. is flexed at all. Additional adjustment of the structure as a whole may be socured by the manipulation of an adjusting screw 3!) which is threaded through the forward end of the base and loosely engages a it"oot bar ll). By screwing down upon the screw 39 the foot bar all) will be forced against tn ground and the front end of the base 5 will be elevated. Adjustment of the parts 36 and 3'? oi? the brace bar is effected through the medium of a yoke ll that is carried by the part 37 and slidably engages the part, 3 The projections 42 of a spring actuated latch that is carried by the slide is adapted to engage in any one of a plurality of recesses l3 formed in the part 36.

A yoke 44: is pivoted at 45 to the base 5 and carries prongs L6 adapted to be pressed into the ground or other point of support and serves to anchor the ructure so that it will be held tirinly in place.

The spring 7 may be placed under tension by moving the cr bar l6, 1'? rearwardly and this may be e'l'l'ected in either of two ways, viz: by grasping the handle Z-l and drawing upon the bar or by manipulating crank 26. In either case the rearward movement of the bar is continued until the notch engages the ofi-set portion 32 of the trigger. For throwing small bombs or grenades, short distances, a direct pull upon the handle 2% will sutlice but when greater power is required of spring 7 the teeth of gear 23 may be engaged with the teeth 22 and crank 2" turned to thereby flex the spring 7 even though the rmnaiuing adjustments, as of the brace bar for example. are such that the spring will be under very great tension before the notch 33 engages with the trigger.

It is to be noted that the gear 23 has a portion 23 thatv is without teeth and this portion comes opposite the teeth 22 imme diately after the notch 33 engages the trigger. At the same time detent or spring point 27 comes into position to engage in the opening 28 to thereby hold the gear immovable in this position until it is desired to again use the same to ties the spring. This disengages the cross bar and the gear so that when the trigger is actuated to disengage the offset portion 32 thereof from the notch the cross bar may move forwardly without interference upon the part of the gear :25). It is to be understood that the plate 29 remains always perpendicular to the base 5, and this plate may be rigidly attached to the base or it may be rcniovably mounted thereon. To removably mount the plate on the base but at the same time secure the same rigidly thereto a slide L6 may be mounted in guides l? of the plate and enopenings 48 in the base while a brace cable 49 may be engaged at its upper end end with taut to brace the upper part of plate against the st. brought thereon when spr. Y T is lie .Ll. ll hen not in use the parts may be readily disconnected and toldcd down upon the base while yoke all may be folded ove upon the base.

From th going description it will be apparent that the gear wheel 23, teeth 2, and a oeiated parts may be omitted con' notion of the apparatus if desned, since the machine is operative for the par-- poses for which it is intended without the: employment of these parts. The adjust ment provided by the openings '21., renders it possible to. in etl'ect, shorten the cross for short distance throwing. In

noses the grenade to be thrown in shorter radius, as before stated it b ing the general purpose and principle oil the operation ot the machine. For example the foot. piece and the adjusting screw thercfor may be omitted if desired.

It is further to be noted that while the plate 10 is adjustable with respect to the spring 7, the parts for controlling the movement of the same are such as to bind this plate immovably with respect to spring 7, so that when the spring flies back to vertical position full force and velocity will be imparted to the element thrown.

A slot 11. is formed in the side of pocket 11 and by passing a. cord of the proper frictional qualities through this slot the cord may be caused, when the spring is released, to be drawn so rapidly past the grenade or bomb as to ignite the same without danger to the operator. This is a :teature of decided advantage because many serious accidents have occurred due to premature ignition and explosion. of devices of this nature.

li' hile l he elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intendccb it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within the spirit of the appended claims.

Having particularly described and ascer Milli tained the nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. The con'ibination with a base, of a vertically disposed leaf spring carried thereby, a plate connected to said spring, means for adjusting said plate to varying angular positions with respect to the spring and a grenade receiving element carried by said plate.

A structure as recited in claim 1, in which the adjusting means of the plate comprises a graduated measuring element by which the angular position of the plate with respect to the spring may be accurately predetermined.

3. A structure as recited in claim 1, in which the adjusting means for the plate comprises an actuating screw for the plate and a graduated adjusting screw by which the angular position of the plate with respect to the spring may be accurately predetermined.

a. A device of the character described comprising a base, a vertically disposed leaf spring carried thereby, a brace bar extending between the base and the spring and means connected with the spring above the point of engagement of the brace bar therewith for flexing said spring.

5. A structure as recited in claim 4, in which the brace bar.is adjustable as to length.

6. A structure as recited in claim 4, in which the means for flexing the spring, comprises a two part cross bar adjustable as to length, a trigger and an inter-engaging element between the bar and the trigger.

7. A device of the character described comprising a base, an upstanding leaf Copies of this patent may be obtained for 8. A structure as recited in claim 7, in

which said cross bar is provided with teeth, and a segmental gear is carried by said plate, adapted to co-act with the cross bar for retracting the same. I

9. A structure as recited in claim 7, in which the cross bar is made adjustable as to length.

10. A structure as recited in claim 7, comprising a detent for the segmental gear which comes into operation when the segmental gear is out of engagement With the teeth of the cross bar.

11. A device of the character described comprising a base, an upstanding leaf spring carried thereby, an upstanding plate carried by the base and lying in spaced relation to said spring, means for bracing said plate from the base, a trigger mounted in said plate, a cross bar engaging with the spring and provided with a notch for engaging said trigger, said cross bar being provided with gear teeth, a segmental gear carried by the plate, adapted to coact with the cross bar for retracting the same and a detent for the segmental gear which comes into operation when the segmental gear is out of engagement with the teeth of the cross bar. 7

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

EDWARD S. JONES.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

